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And whatever they wish to have, give it to them, and do not fail them anything, both young bullocks and rams and lambs for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the ordinance of the priests who are at Jerusalem; let it be brought to them day by day without fail,

That they may offer sacrifices to the God of heaven, and pray for the king and his sons.

Also I have made a decree that whosoever shall alter this ordinance, let a beam be pulled down from his house, and they shall make it a cross for him and they shall crucify him upon it; and let his house be made a dunghill for this.

And they offered at the dedication of this house of God one hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and twelve he-goats for a sin offering for all Israel, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together, all of them were pure, and they killed the lambs on the passover day for all the people of the captivity and for their brethren the priests and for themselves.

And they celebrated the feast of the unleavened bread seven days with joy; for the LORD had made them joyful and turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of the LORD God of Israel.

For on the first month they began to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month they came to Jerusalem, according to the hand of God which had been good to them.

For Ezra had set his heart to seek the law of the LORD and to do it and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.

And to carry the kings silver and gold, which I have freely offered for the house of the LORD whose habitation is in Jerusalem,

The vessels also that are given you for the service of the house of your God you shall deliver before the God who is in Jerusalem.

And the rest of the vessels which you may need for the service of the house of your God you shall take and give out of the kings treasure house.

Also we inform you that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, and the workers of the house of God, it is unlawful for you to interfere with them.

Blessed art thou, O LORD God of our fathers, for thou hast put this thing in the kings heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem;

Then I sent for Eleazer, Ariel, Shemiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Eliathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, chieftains; also for Jonadab and Eliathan; these were all leaders.

And I commanded them to go to Adai their chief who was at the place Casiphia, and I told them what they should say to Adai and to his brethren who were encamped at the place Casiphia, that they should bring to us ministers for the house of our God.

And also of the men whom David had appointed for the service of the Levites (who were set apart), two hundred and twenty; all of them were called by their names.

Then I called them and proclaimed a fast at the river Hawa, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a right way for us and for our little ones and for all our substance.

For I was ashamed to ask of the king a band of soldiers, an army and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the way, because we had spoken to the king, saying, The hand of our God is with all of those who seek him for good; but his power and his wrath are against all who forsake him.

So we fasted and besought our God for this; and he hearkened to us

And counted to them the silver and the gold and the vessels, even the offering for the house of our God which the king and his noblemen and his princes and all Israel there present had offered;